Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, and Rep. Mike Thompson return to the Capitol to reintroduce a new background check bill. Back in November 2017, the politicians along with 200 lawmakers introduced similar legislation. The bill will require background checks on all firearm purchases including private transactions.
Fourteen Republicans supported the bill proposed last year. Despite a lot of push from both the public and lawmakers, the bill failed to gain traction. Thompson, Giffords, and King are hoping that this time would be different. While almost all of the Democrats in the House will pass the bill, its success in the Senate is still uncertain. Not all of the Republicans in the Senate will support the bill. President Donald Trump has also made it clear that he supports gun-ownership rights.
Date Significance
Democrats will formally introduce the bill Tuesday. This move was intended to coincide with the 8th anniversary of a shooting incident that almost took the life of Giffords. The shooting also resulted in the death of six others. The shooting happened outside a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona in January 2011. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will join Giffords in introducing the new bill. Democrats have long promised to pass legislation to try and solve the country’s rising gun violence issue.
Thompson mentioned in a statement that he is confident that the bipartisan, universal background checks bill will pass the house. He also credited the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force for their work in helping to pass the legislation.
Legislation Summary
Under the new bill, federal background checks using the FBI’s Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) will be mandatory for all gun sales. This will include all private transactions. There are of course some exemptions. This will include temporary use for hunting and transfers between immediate family members. According to gun control groups, almost one-fifth of gun sales around the country do not go through background checks.